


Philosophical Discussions

by Yarol2075



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Fluff and Humor, Multi, fix-it AU, happily everafter mostly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-09
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2018-08-29 22:00:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8507017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yarol2075/pseuds/Yarol2075
Summary: Since Kamino is nearly in another Galaxy, and it doesn't appear they were members of the Republic until after they created the GAR, a small realization, a small change and a lot of talking could have made all the difference.  
Sometimes Love, when given the smallest opening, can change everything.





	1. Breaking Furniture

**Author's Note:**

> I'm breaking this story line out of **Unruly Narrative Lagomorphs** although the first three chapters will also remain there.

Boba watched his father after the Jedi and Taun We left.  Jango was deep in thought, but if he had noticed Boba’s attention he would have approved.  Practice reading people was always a good exercise.  From his initial expressions it was little hard to tell what he was thinking of.  Jango’s face was still and his eyes distant.  Then he looked at Boba, staring as if he was making sure Boba was still there, still real.  Boba was use to that stare.  Then Jango looked away again, this time his face morphed into a pensive frown.

“What is it, Dad?” Boba asked.

“Pa...” Jango stopped as if something had just occurred to him.  The corners of his mouth quirked up in a barely there smile, and then transformed into a devious grin.  He ruffled Boba’s hair, “Set a third place for supper tonight, Boba.  We’ll be having company.”

“Okay, Dad,” Boba would just have to wait to see whatever his father was up to.

~*~

The Jedi came back and started blustering about how Jango had to come with him and how it would be easier on him and Boba if he came without a fight.  Boba really wanted to throw something at the pompous jerk, but Jango seemed content to let the Jedi flail about, so Boba followed his father’s example.

After a few minutes the Jedi stopped and looked at Jango, who had just calmly removed the main dish from the oven in the apartment’s little kitchen.

“Are you done?” Jango politely inquired, “We are about to have supper.  It’s broiled rollerfish,” there was a flash of a proud smile, “Boba caught it this morning.  You’re welcome to join us.”

This wasn’t quite going to the script the Jedi must have had in his head.  Jango was supposed to protest, possibly fight, not invite him to dinner.  However reason seemed to be ruling the day.

“Thank you, I believe I will,” Obi-Wan let himself be seated at the table.

Boba ate with his best manners, but couldn’t help but giggle a little when the Jedi startled when the jaw of the rollerfish started moving when Jango started slicing.

“Never quite got use that myself,” Jango confided amiably, and Boba couldn’t decide if his Dad was being nice or if he really meant it.  That unsettled the Jedi further, however he did seem to like the rollerfish.

Finally the Jedi did start again, but this time with less pompous bluster.

“I do have orders from the Jedi Counsel to bring you in,” he said with some contrition.

Jango nodded.

“And it really would be easier on you and on your son if you came peacefully.

Jango nodded again, then asked.

“And the Jedi Counsel has the authority to do this?”

“The Jedi Counsel has the authority the Republic has entrusted it with,” a light appeared to dawn in the Jedi’s eyes, “But Kamino...”

“Isn’t part of the Republic,” Jango grinned.

Obi-Wan frowned and then countered:

“I could discuss the matter with the Prime Minister.”

“And I could insist that they’ve been tricked, and you’re not a Jedi.  And they’ve known me longer,” then Jango added sharply, “and I know all about your Jedi mind tricks, so don’t bother.”

“Then we appear to be at an impasse,” Obi-Wan sighed, “I could try to take you in by force, but that would only ruin the remainder of this excellent meal.”

Boba knew his Dad had something in mind, just from the way Jango was tilting his head.  He stayed relaxed, knowing he would have to catch even the smallest of the signals Dad had worked out.

“Well,” Jango drawled, “perhaps we could talk this out.”

Boba blinked.  He hadn’t expected that.

 

~*~

 

The message came two weeks after they returned to Naboo from Tatooine.  Master Obi Wan Kenobi hadn’t been heard from since he had left for Kamino, beyond a very brief message that he needed to do some further investigating.  Although Anakin had been told quite clearly and emphatically that he should stay put with Senator Amidala, that Master Windu would be investigating, he found himself nonetheless piloting a ship towards Kamino.  After all the Senator had insisted on going to check on Master Kenobi.

They arrived on Kamino just as Master Windu did.  Anakin was surprised when Windu flashed him a sympathetic look after Padme stood her ground and insisted she needed to be there.

They found Obi-Wan’s Delta-7 in the shadow of a large ship that to Padme’s eyes looked like a stylized portable clothing press. 

And the Delta-7 was occupied.

~*~

 

Boba was happily ensconced in the Delta-7.   He had snacks, several juice packs and an entertainment data-pad on the off chance he got bored with studying the Delta-7.  Not kriffing likely since Obi-Wan had apparently forgotten he was still signed into the Jedi’s secured internal holo-net system.  As his Dad frequently said, if they’re stupid enough to give you a way in than they deserved what you unleash.  And he wasn’t going to do anything too terrible.  Boba was beginning to really like Obi-Wan, which was probably a good thing considering the way things seemed to be going.

What wasn’t a good thing was the canopy of the Delta-7 opening up and the rain coming in.  Bobe looked up from the screen and frowned.  A woman and two men.  She was pretty, he was handsome, and the other man looked like a dork with a braid.

“You’re letting the rain in,” Boba said tartly, and closed the canopy.

It opened again.

“This is the property of the Jedi Order, youngling,” The handsome man said sternly.

“I know, Obi-Wan said I could study it,” Boba shut the canopy again, or at least tried to, then he noticed the men’s garb, “oh, more Jedi.”

“Yes, more Jedi,” the handsome man said with a hint of exasperation, however his tone of voice gentled as he asked, “We are looking for Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.  He’s given you permission to play in his ship?”

“I’m not _playing_ ,” Boba pouted, “I’m studying,” he gave the dork with a braid the stink-eye when the dork chuckled, “Obi-Wan,” he said with all the dignity a ten year old could muster, “is having philosophical discussions with my Dad.”

“Philosophical discussions?” the handsome man helped Boba clamber out of the starship.

“Yep,” Boba nodded.

“Perhaps we could join in,” the woman chimed in, “I’m Padme Amidala, and you are?”

“Boba Fett,” he gave a slight bow, it seemed polite, “I’m pleased to meet you.”

“I am Mace Windu,” the handsome man finally named himself, and he gestured to the dork with the braid, “this is Anakin Skywalker, Master Kenobi’s padawan learner.”

“Oh, he’s mentioned you,” Boba looked at Anakin like he was trying to match up what Obi-Wan had said of his apprentice and what was standing there, “huh.”

He led the way to the entrance into the city.

“Philosophical discussions, you said,” Mace prompted as they wended their way through the corridors.

“Yep,” Boba nodded again, “the latest was whether it was possible for the Jedi to maintain their philosophy of detachment if a physical intimacy became involved,” he could of sworn Padme and Anakin jumped a little at that, interesting, “Obi-Wan let me study his ship, since they needed to continued their discussion and they broken Dad’s bed last night,” he cheerfully chattered on.

“I’m sorry, what?” Mace asked.

“Broke Dad’s bed.  We’re almost there,” Boba led their way towards a door with a formidable locking mechanism, “so they were going to use the couch today.”

He seemed oblivious to the shocked looks being traded by the trio, but Boba was getting more amused by the second.  Just as they got to the door there was thump on the other side of the wall by the door.  Boba carefully schooled his face into wide-eyed innocence, before he turned to look at the stunned group.

“It sounds like they’ve broken the couch too.”


	2. Brothers?

Mace took a moment to reach out in the Force to determine if Obi-Wan was as willing as the boy seemed to indicate. There was another thump against the wall and muffled moan. Mace withdrew from the Force, his face only slightly shifting with an uneven mix of disapproval and humor. Boba was correct, Obi-Wan was perfectly willing.

He reached out and deftly caught the boy’s hand before he could touch the locking mechanism.

“Perhaps we should not interrupt them right now,” he intoned with only the driest of hints of humor coloring his voice, “they are otherwise...engaged.”

“You mean they’re frakking each other silly,” Boba replied matter-of-factly, he looked past Mace, “Is he okay?”

Mace turned to see Anakin, twitching, being supported by Padmé, seemly paralyzed by indecision and shock.

“I don’t think he ever thought of his Master as being,” oh Mace knew he shouldn’t do it, but for once he decided not to resist, “Frakkable.”

Skywalker twitched even more violently, and Mace almost, almost took a step back from the glare Senator Amidala leveled at him.

“I could take you to Taun We,” Boba offered, and Mace could swear the child was planning some other surprise, just to see how they would react.

“No, I think it best we wait until we can talk with Master Kenobi and your Father,” Mace shook his head, “We shall return to our ships until that time.”

Boba’s face lit up.

“I can go back to studying’s Obi-Wan’s ship?”

Anakin shook himself and finally found his voice.

“Master Windu, do you think that truly wise?” Skywalker winced as his voice squeaked from unexpected stress.

“He gave me permission.”

It was a borderline whine from Boba, but the big pleading brown eyes made up for it. Mace still wasn’t buying it.

“Is there somewhere where,” Mace began when there was an exceptional loud thump and someone was urging loud enough they could hear clearly despite the soundproofing.

**“HARDER”**

“I think that was Dad,” Boba stared, a little shocked, at the wall for a moment, really looking like the ten year old child he was.

“Is there somewhere where we can find refreshment?” Mace hurriedly asked managing to shepherd the group away from the apartment before Skywalker completely freaked out. Senator Amidala wasn’t helping things; she looked like she was going to burst out into giggles at any moment.

“I can make hot chocolate on Slave I,” Boba offered as he kept looking back, eyes all-rounded and blinking, then he looked at Anakin a little shyly and a touch slyly, “I think you just became my brother.”

~*~

Mace got Anakin and Senator Amidala settled back on the Senator’s ship, and let the Senator fuss over Kenobi’s...traumatized seemed too strong a words, but Mace was willing to go with it, Kenobi’s traumatized padawan. Mace had a troubling feeling about that particular situation, but it was a better alternative than keeping Skywalker and the Fett child in any kind of proximity, at least not until Obi-Wan was present and could make an account of himself.

Mace knew he should report to the Council, or at least Yoda, but not just yet. He was going to accompany Boba and have a hot chocolate. If he knew his bounty hunters right, there would something stronger on that ship that could be added to the hot chocolate. Then he would contact his little green goblin of a best friend. It was going to be a long conversation.


	3. S'Mores

Obi-Wan Kenobi woke up with a sense of being pinned to reasonably soft surface.  He woken up on less comfortably soft surfaces and this really was a nice change and he needed to get his mind to circle back to the part where he was being pinned down because that had to have some importance, didn’t it?  Of course what was pinning down  him was warm, breathing, and not quite so soft as what he was pinned down on, but still a welcome change.  It was also softly snoring.

Ah, yes, Jango.

This was definitely the sort of complication Obi-Wan had been trying to teach Anakin to avoid.  There was really was nothing for it.  He would have to leave the Order.  Obi-Wan knew enough of Mandalorian culture ( _oh_ _Satine_ , some corner of his heart would always love Satine) to know how dogged Jango would be about family, especially given that Boba had already practically adopted Obi-Wan as a second father.   Obi-Wan doubted he could resist the double-powered puppy-dog stare of both sets of deep brown eyes anyway.  He wasn’t about to be the one who set those two loose in the Temple.

And, yes, for all that Jango embraced being a warrior, Obi-Wan felt a certain serene peace within himself in admitting he was fallen lightsaber over boots in love with the irritating man.  It helped that Jango had decided, somewhere between teaching Obi-Wan how to cook rollerfish and an intense discussion (shouting match) about the Jedi needing to open their eyes, that maybe the best revenge was being happy. 

Since a large scale war tended to get in the way of happiness, Jango was clearly plotting something.  Obi-Wan hadn’t wormed who exactly had hired him yet, but he had overheard a conversation Jango had with the Kaminoans, something about immediately halting the accelerated aging of the clones (Obi-Wan approved) and a puzzled exchange about bio-chips which Jango very decisively lied through his teeth about; he said Jedi Master Kenobi ordered them to be removed, carefully.  Obi-Wan had sensed that Jango had been a bit blindsided about the chips and they perhaps had been the deciding factor for Jango.  Deciding what exactly Obi-Wan hadn’t found out, but Jango’s arguments had been particularly skewed towards free will after that.

He glanced at the wall-chrono and winced.  For all that Jango let Boba roam free on Kamino, the boy did need to eat regularly.  Obi-Wan shook Jango.

And was rewarded with a muffled snort and Jango snuggling down harder.

 Obi-Wan shook Jango again and said loudly.

 “I think Boba’s hungry.”

 That woke him up.

 “What?  Boba?” Jango surged up, looking around.

“Yes, I think we should find Boba and make him something to eat,” Obi-Wan smirked just a little at Jango’s owlish blinking.

Jango slumped back down, whumphing the air out of Obi-Wan.

“Boba’ll probably eat on Slave I,” Jango groused, “he’s a smart boy,” there was the quick affectionate smile that always appeared when Jango spoke of his son.

"Jango.”

“All right, all right,” Jango muttered, getting up and giving Obi-Wan a good view of what he was now reconsidering; perhaps it wouldn’t hurt Boba to eat on Slave I.  Alas, Jango moved too fast and was getting dressed, covering up tantalizing tattooed skin, “hmm, Boba must have taken your robes to be laundered; here.”

Obi-Wan took the bundle of Jango’s clothes to wear.  His shirts fit well.  His trousers tended to be a bit short, but Obi-Wan’s boots hid that. 

~*~

Obi-Wan’s stomach sank as he saw the two new starships on the landing pad.  He could tell immediately one was Mace’s personal, custom, purpler than almost anything else in the Galaxy Delta-7.  He was denying the other was a sleek silver nabuian craft.  That would mean Anakin was on Kamino.  Explaining to Mace how and why he had fallen in love with the man paid to assassinate Senator Amidala was going to be interesting enough, he didn’t think he could handle the hurt that Anakin would radiate.

“Well, he’s not in your Delta-7,” Jango announced, trudging back through the rain, “I should have checked on Slave I from the apartment,” he grumbled, “whose ship is that?”

“The Senator you were hired to...” he trailed off uncomfortably.

“You’re going to have to get over that, love,” Jango said, “I am who I am; I’m willing to change, but you have to accept who I am now.”

Kenobi chuckled as Jango settled the odd shaped rain hat on his head.

“Yes, of course.  It’s Senator Amidala’s craft, and if she’s here, so is my padawan,”  Obi-Wan said, “he’s going to be upset.”

“Then I suggest we check on Slave I first.”

~*~

The looks Obi-Wan and Jango got when they entered Slave I’s tiny crew quarters would have frozen lava.  Boba and Mace were both seated on the floor, with two small portable cooking burners between them, as well as a large bowl of Alderaanian marshmallows, Corellian sweet crackers and flat bars of chocolate.  Mugs of hot chocolate were also present. They had interrupted a serious discussion of the merits of the literary detective Macha Bindu and his good friend and partner Dr. Ormond Sacker, as well various holo-media interpretations there of.  

Jango was the first to move, sitting down next to his son.

“Might as well get this bit over with, love,” he motioned to Obi-Wan to sit.

“That’s all well and good,” Obi-Wan grumbled under his breath, “you’re sitting next to your son.”

But he settled in next to Mace nonetheless.   The four of them made for a tight fit.

Mace, looking sideways at Obi-Wan the entire time, speared a marshmallow with a long thin fork and held it over the heat of the burner.

“So, philosophical discussions?” he finally intoned causing Obi-Wan to jump.

“It seemed like an ideal alternative at the time,” Obi-Wan said weakly.

Boba giggled and Jango couldn’t help but try to hide a  snort of laughter, but still he couldn’t let his almost spouse (everything done but the oath) have to answer for a solution Jango had thought up.

"It was my idea,” Jango said, stealing a sip from his son’s hot chocolate, earning him a small thump from Boba, butting his shoulder against Jango’s arm, “I suggested we talk it out.  You should give Obi-Wan credit, his silver tongue’s probably spared the Jedi a lot of pain and heartache.”

Mace slid the now perfectly toasted marshmallow off the fork onto a sweet cracker and topped it with a bit of chocolate and another cracker.  He took a bite and chewed slowly, savoring the sweetness.

Boba rested his head against Jango’s shoulder, shuffling a bit when Jango wrapped an arm around him.

“You, both, do still have to come before the Jedi Council,” Mace said, making another s’more and handing it to Obi-Wan, “the clone army did not just conjure itself up out of the Force, and there is still the matter who hired you to assassinate Senator Amidala.”

“The Trade Federation,” Jango answered with a shrug.

“We guessed that,” Mace let an almost smile cross his face, “but the Trade Federation’s leadership,” he paused, searching for diplomatic words, “leads less than it is lead.”

Jango returned the almost smile.

“You Jedi need to keep better track of members who leave your Order.”

Mace tilted his head and raised an eyebrow, which Jango mirrored as Obi-Wan and Boba watched in fascination.  The silent conversation went on for a few more seconds when Slave I's intruder alarm blared to life causing them all to jump.


	4. Tidying Up

Padmé Amidala was a kind, compassionate, intelligent woman.  So when she saw Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and the man who was probably the child Boba’s father outside her ship, she did the sensible, compassionate thing of distracting Anakin and shut down any chance he would see them.  Anakin needed time to process the situation, and she didn’t think he was quite ready to converse with Obi-Wan in a calm reasonable manner just yet.  She asked if he wanted something that would help with the stress.  He said yes, and so she added the tiniest bit of a mild sedative to his tea.  It should have only taken the edge off, especially since he was a Force-user and they tended to be more resilient when it came to sedatives.   He should have only relaxed.  And surely the Jedi Order, at the very least Obi-Wan, had noticed Anakin was far too overloaded for his own good.  As it was, she couldn’t help but feel upset that Anakin was so stressed that his body took even the smallest of openings to get him to simply fall asleep.    
  
With his head in her lap.  
  
“The trouble with you Anakin,” she said affectionately, stroking his hair, “is that it is very hard not to fall in love with you.”  
  
Still, Padmé had a stake in whatever was going on, and she was not going stay put while matters of importance to the entire Galaxy were being discussed in a starship with the unfortunate moniker of Slave I.  She very gently slipped away from Anakin, leaving one of her cloaks, the lighter one, under his head, and pulled on her rain-cloak.  
  
“Threepio, look after Anakin.  Artoo, come with me,” Padmé ordered and went out into the rain.  
  
~*~  
  
It seemed silly to knock on the hatch of starship, so Artoo took matters into its own, er, hand, and from a repair data port to hack into and open the hatch for Padmé.  There was a Force-awful klaxon aaooguuing away, but she kept her composure and made an entrance that would have done her proud when she was still the Queen of Naboo.  
  
She coolly surveyed the three grown men sitting on the floor toasting marshmallows.  The boy, Boba, was the only one who met her eyes.  His eyes danced with amusement as he tilted his towards Master Obi-Wan and his father. She smiled back with her eyes, sharing a silent joke.  
  
“Is there a chance that that noise can be turned off?”  
  
Jango reached out and touched a panel and the intruder alarm was silenced.  
  
She arched an eyebrow.  
  
“Are there any of those left for me?” she pointed to the marshmallows on forks with a small smile.  
  
“Err, there are probably more in the apartment,” Jango replied, “more room as well.”  
  
Boba looked up at his father with an impression of being impressed.  
  
“You two cleaned up?”  
  
The wide-eyed stare Fett and Obi-Wan shared left no doubt in Padmé’s mind that they had certainly not cleaned up.  
  
The boy took a deep breath and sighed.  His attitude of amusement and being put-upon.  
  
“Dads, you go clean up and I’ll take care of Master Windu and the Senator until you’re done,” Boba said decisively.  Someone was going to have to take charge here, and his Dads (well, neither had contradicted him) were not up to the task right now.  
  
“I’m not certain I’m comfortable leaving you...” Jango started, but quieted when Obi-Wan place a hand on his shoulder.  
  
“If Mace was going to make off with Boba to force you to come to Coruscant, he would have done so before now,” Obi-Wan reasoned, “Besides the Senator would be appalled at such an action.”  
  
“And I know where all the hold-out blasters and tranqs are, Dad,” Boba added with a thoroughly innocent grin.  
  
Jango sputtered as Obi-Wan guided him out into the rain.  
  
Padmé sat down, and took up a fork and marshmallow.  
  
“I take it that further assassination attempts will not be undertaken?” she asked.  
  
“Not by my Dad,” Boba said handing over a sweet cracker and chocolate, “but by whoever hired him?” the boy shrugged.  
  
“Thank you, Master Windu,” Padmé nodded, as Mace handed her a cup of hot chocolate, then looked from Jedi Master to child; clearly the three of them were only sane and clear-headed people involved in this clusterfrak, and she needed to be brought up to speed, “what is going on?”  
  
“Someone has created a Clone Army for the Republic,” Mace started, “according to Obi-Wan, it was commissioned by the late Master Sifo-Dyas shortly after Naboo was liberated.  I remember Sifo-Dyas as having concerns, but I can’t imagine that he would simply go ahead and not tell the Counsel that an army was being cloned for us.”  
  
Boba and Padmé stared at him.  It was amazing how two such dissimilar people could manage to have the same exact ‘you idiot’ look.  
  
Mace face-palmed.  
  
“I knew we should looked for the other Sith.”  
  
“Sith?” Padmé asked as Boba asked: “Uhm, would ‘Sith’ have two names?”  
  
“A Sith might well have an alias, yes,” Mace turned his full attention on the boy, than ratchetted it back a couple of notches; he didn’t want to alienate the first person he had been able to have a calm intelligent conversation about the latest iteration of Macha Bindu and Ormand Sacker on the holonet.  
  
Boba turned his concentration on the marshmallow he was toasting.  He licked his lips and looked any where but the Jedi and Senator.  
  
“Well, Dad took this job from a man named Tyrannus, and other jobs from him too, but,” Boba finally looked up at them, “I think Tyrannus is also someone called Count Dooku,” he offered a kind of caught with his hand in the sweet jar grin, “I backtracked one of his transmissions once, (as practice!) to the planet Serrano.”  
  
It took a moment for it to sink in, but Mace’s face was study in disbelief, denial and betrayal.  There was no way this child could have known he considered Count Dooku a friend, a very distant friend of late, but a friend nonetheless.  The idea that he was a Sith lord hurt in a way Mace had never expected, but Jango’s earlier comment made more sense now.  
  
Artoo beeped out a short succinct swear.  
  
“That’s a very serious allegation, Boba,” Padmé said gently, keeping her eyes on Mace.  
  
“I know,” the boy shrugged unhappily; he was beginning to really like Mace, and seeing the hurt his words caused made Boba feel guilty.  He was startled when Mace’s hand descended on his shoulder.  
  
“It’s not your fault, Boba,” Mace said seriously, “Count Dooku’s actions are his own.”  
  
The comm chirruped and Boba opened it.  
  
“It’s...presentable in here now,” Obi-Wan’s voice hesitantly sounded, “I think it should be...”  
  
Jango’s voice came from the background.  
  
“Oh for Kad’s Sake, Love, we stuffed everything into the bedroom, there’s nothing to see now.”  
  
Boba snorted with laughter; that was both so unlike his Dad and so like his Dad.  Both Mace and Padmé held back their laughter.  
  
“Err, yes,” Obi-Wan continued, “you can come in now.”    
  
And the comm closed.  
  
It took just a few moments for Boba to stow away the cooking burners and the food.  Very meticulously, it should be added; he was always tidy.  And then the quartet went out into the rain.


	5. Bilaberry Jam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the apartment! 
> 
> And Anakin goes looking for clones.

It didn’t take quite as long this time to reach the Fett apartment, however they stopped when Boba looked up at Mace and Padmé and raised his hand in a bit of a wait a moment gesture.

“Uhm, I’m going to go in first and check that they didn’t miss anything, okay?” he asked, looking a bit embarrassed.

Padmé smiled, and touched his shoulder gently.

“I’m certain there’s nothing Master Windu or I haven’t seen before.”

“Dad sometimes gets crumbs in the bilaberry jam,” Boba snorted in disgust, (to his own surprise Mace actually shuddered at the thought; Master Yoda did that all the time and it was just, just wrong,) “and Dad,” there was a slight change in inflection, “leaves cups of tea all over place and they go cold; we’ve started to run out of mugs!” a stubborn mulish look settled on his face, “I need to check first.”

Jedi Master and the Senator exchanged a quick glance.  Artoo let out an approving whistle.

“Of course, Boba,” Windu nodded gravely, with just the slightest hint a smile.

Jango had thoroughly drilled security protocols into Boba, and Boba covered the lock-pad as he entered the key-series.  Mace and Padmé looked away as the door opened, not wanting to disappoint Boba.  However once the door slid shut behind him, Padmé had to lean against the wall and stifle her giggles, while Mace brought a loose fist up to his mouth to muffle his chuckles.  Artoo just beeped.

*~*

Anakin Skywalker dreamed.  He dreamed of battle, of blood, of having men who looked like grown-up of version of the child who claimed him as brother fight and die and kill at his command, the Jedi Temple in flames.  He dreamed of Obi-Wan screaming and burning.  He dreamed of Padmé alone and scared and dying, two bright little lights dying with her.  He dreamed of Padmé’s R2 unit beeping and tweedling at him accusingly – you could have stopped this, you could have saved them all, you should have been better than this.

Anakin Skywalker woke up.

He sat up and looked around.  Padmé was nowhere to be seen, although Threepio was babbling at him.

“…and now they’ve all gone inside again!”

Anakin looked blankly at his droid.

“Where’s Padmé, Threepio?”

The droid did the indignant shimmy that would have been the equivalent of the human sighing dramatically before he started again.

“Senator Amidala observed Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and that bounty hunter,” the distaste dripped in Threepio’s fussy tone, “on the landing pad, and entering the bounty hunter’s ship where Master Windu and the child were waiting.  She elected to take Artoo and go over there.  After some time the bounty hunter and Master Kenobi exited the craft, and shortly after that Master Windu, Senator Amidala, and the child exited, and now they have all gone back inside the city!”

Anakin considered this.  He wasn’t happy that Padmé was apparently in the company of the bounty hunter who was hired to kill her.  On the other hand, his own issues with Master Windu aside, Anakin knew Master Windu would never allow harm to come to someone under his protection, and if Padmé was with him then she was safe.

So, what he should do is report in to the Jedi Counsel.  What he wanted to do was go find Padmé and Obi-Wan.

“Open a channel to the Jedi Temple, Coruscant,” he ordered.

Anakin felt a bit of the darkness of his nightmare lift, and thought he heard the vaguest echo of an approving Beep from Artoo.

*~*

Both Jango and Obi-wan jumped a little when the door opened, eyes darting everywhere.  When they saw it was just Boba they relaxed until Boba went directly to the couch and pointed to _something_ peeking out from it.

“What is that?” Boba asked seriously, then he darted to a bookshelf and pointed a smudge on a small sculpture, “that needs to be wiped.”

Within thirty seconds the boy located and recommended action on anything that could potentially embarrass Jango and/or Obi-Wan.

"Is that what you were like at his age?" Obi-Wans asked amused.

Jango looked at Obi-Wan with a shrug, and then at his son, who was giving the kitchen area a harshly critical look, before snorting:

"At his age I was still on the farm, needing to be reminded to wash behind my ears, and wondering why old Cassus was so adamant about the Manda'lor stay out of his wife's charbote patch," Jango’s eyes went distant, but happy, “this is purely Boba.”

After Boba was satisfied with the state of the apartment, but just before he went to usher in Master Windu and Senator Amidala, he hesitated.  Boba turned back and gave Jango a crushing hug and then one to Obi-wan, before he scarpered back to the door.

“Want one of your own?” Jango said with a faint smile and gleam in his eyes, as he observed Obi-wan pleasantly stunned wistfulness “Pretty certain we could sweet talk the Kaminoans into getting Boba a little sibling.”

“One step at a time, cyar'ika,” Obi-Wan replied, drawing himself up as Master Windu and Senator Amidala and her astro-mech followed Boba in.

~*~

Anakin sighed as the call ended.  He had persuaded Master Yoda that the situation was under control (Anakin got in the impression that Master Yoda had expected Master Windu to be dragging Obi-Wan home by his ear by now), but that a larger Jedi presence wouldn’t unbalance anything, and really there was no need to inform the Senate of anything just yet.  He considered the real win that it would be Masters Plo Koon and Shaak Ti coming.  Something in his gut telling him that they were the right Jedi to come and look in on these so far unseen clones.

And now?

Anakin was going to go see the clones.

~*~

It seemed a rather stark apartment to Mace, and he was comparing it Jedi quarters.  Of course, and a faint smile tugged at his features, everything had been stuffed in the bedroom to make it presentable.  He expected it was much more comfortable, although perhaps still utilitarian, when it didn’t have to be tidied up in a hurry.  As it was it didn’t give many clues about its inhabitants, although a set of well-played with model starships next to several data-pads on a shelf just the right height for Boba gave him a sense of that all this trouble would probably be worth it.

He also got a better look at the bounty hunter who had been so persuasive in his philosophical discussion with Obi-Wan the Jedi were in danger of losing him. 

Jango Fett was a handsome man; he knew it too, and he wisely didn’t let it go to his head.  He was also scarred from years of battles, and even in as cordial a situation as this was, his every movement betrayed that he could turn deadly in less than nano-second.  His dark golden brown eyes studying Mace with the same intensity.  Mace raised an eyebrow, the corner of Jango’s mouth turned up.  They both nodded at each fractionally, acknowledging that they were more or less equals even if pride on both their parts would never admit it.  Then both heard Boba giving probable interpretations of them for Obi-Wan and Padmé.

He looked at both with wide brown eyes and innocently said:

“You said I should practice reading people, Dad.”

Jedi Master and Bounty Hunter shared a look.

“I’ll have to introduce you to my former Padawan Depa,” Mace chuckled, “you two might have a lot to talk about.”

“Please, please sit down,” Obi-Wan said genially, trying to get things back on course waving his arms towards a sofa in the main living space of the apartment.

Padmé and Mace each took a step forward before the memory of Boba’s voice echoed in their minds: _“…so they were going to use the couch today.”_

Artoo let out a series of beeps and tootles that made Padmé faintly blush and Mace face palm.  The color drained from Obi-Wan’s face and Jango, damn the man, burst out laughing.  Boba gave Artoo the stinkeye.

“I made sure it’s _clean_.”

That, fortunately, got them all laughing.

~*~

Anakin was beginning to think the city was empty.  Long white hallways.  Windows showed the storm outside, but none of the sound came in.  He felt an enormous amount of life through the Force, but…  He pressed himself against the wall when he heard the barest whisper of footfalls, and did his best to imitate Obi-Wan’s ‘I’m just a no one, ignore me’ trick.

Three young identical men about Anakin’s ages came carefully down the corridor.  Two were obviously acting as lookouts and guards, while the one in the middle was carrying two little boys, perhaps about three years old, holding them close and whispering soothingly in their ears.  The little ones clung tightly to their carrier, eyes wary but adoring.   The pointman paused, and made a hand signal back to his brothers.

_‘Caught’_ Anakin thought glumly; he was never going to be as good as Obi-Wan at stealth.  So he stepped away from the wall, and stood in their path.

The reaction was immediate, the two not holding children, came together immediately to shield the one that was.  They had no weapons, but that didn’t seem like it would matter.

Anakin would never know what prompted him to say it but the first words out of his mouth were:

“I’m Anakin Skywalker, I’m here to help you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant this to be longer, but health related issues got in the way. Still I'm pleased and I think the time between this and the next chapter won't quite so long.


End file.
